HONOURABLE PEACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1940, Page 5

HONOURABLE PEACE

FINLAND STILL WILLING TO NEGOTIATE STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT. MORE HELP NEEDED TO COMBAT AIR RAIDS.

In a speech at the closing session, of the Finnish Diet, the President, M Kallio, renewed his offer to negotiate for an honourable peace with Soviet Russia, states a broadcast from Daventry. Finland, he said, would not bend before any imperialistic aims. He went on to point out that Russia had lost several divisions containing the best of her manpower. “We are forced to destroy people who are innocent of war, and whom we have no reason to hate. For this reason we regard this barbarous attack on our country as senseless. “We are ready to negotiate an honourable peace, but the rulers of Russia know little of the people of this country if they think they will submit to force.”

M Kallio referred to foreign aid already received, and asked for more help to combat air raids by the aggressor, who, in M Kallio’s own words, “uses his air force in the most inhuman manner against civilians.”

RED CROSS WORK NEW ZEALAND CONTRIBUTING £5OOO. SYMPATHY WITH FINNISH PEOPLE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Government has decided to contribute £5OOO (New Zealand currency) toward the cost of Red Cross work in Finland. Making this announcement last night, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said he was sure that New Zealanders as a whole would warmly approve of this decision as a practical gesture of our sympathy with those Finnish people who were today suffering such great hardships. “The purpose of the grant,” said Mr Nash, "is to aid the humanitarian work of the Re(J Cross Society whose resources in Finland,, as will be readily appreciated, are subject to a severe strain at the present time. I am sure also that I am voicing the feeling of this Dominion generally in saying that associated with this contribution from the Government is a strong bond of sympathy with the Finnish people in their courageous defence of those principles of freedom, self-determination, and democracy that we ourselves are pledged to vindicate.” FIGHTING EQUIPMENT NATIONAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN AMERICA. NEW YORK, February 2. Major-General John F. O'Ryan has launched a national campaign for funds to be devoted exclusively to fighting equipment for Finland. spoils of the battle covered a huge area. “One came on this valley of death by degrees. First to be seen were disabled armoured cars, field kitchens, tanks, and dead horses. Then came the beginning of the four miles where the main Russian column was cut off.

"Some of the least damaged material, such as tanks, artillery and rifles, of which the Finns captured 5000, had been taken away by the Finns. Many of the killed had been buried, but hundreds were still lying about. There was also every kind of vehicle one could mention, including staff, and munition cars.

This desolation went on and on for more than four miles. What extenuated the horror of it all was that the road runs through most lovely country. —By radio.